Relying on the school’s multidisciplinary strength
the project involved master students, assistants and
professors as well as young graduates in the fields
product design, fine arts, photography and interaction
design to explore the possibilities offered by glass as
a material in different contexts, from the engineer’s
laboratory to the artist’s workshop.

The results include contributions by Ronan
Bouroullec, Cyril Porchet, Mathieu Rivier, Pauline Saglio,
Augustin Scott de Martinville, Brynjar Sigurðarson
and Baker Wardlaw, in collaborations with glass experts
such as Matteo Gonet or the CIAV Meisenthal. The
aim of the project was not only to research the material
from a designer’s point of view, but also to establish a case study of what design research could be in the
context of a university.

With a scenography created by French designer
Camille Blin, the exhibition showcases more than
300 pieces resulting from the project. This event is
accompanied by the launch of a dedicated website to
browse the comprehensive database (heartofglass.ch)
as well as a publication.